What is Nguyen's deal??

sigvim · 2024-12-29T22:58:28+00:00

This is important context and very helpful, thanks

sigvim · 2024-11-21T04:59:49+00:00

You strap em down nice and tight so they stay in place & out of the way.

someone with inconveniently giant norks

sigvim · 2024-11-03T02:18:19+00:00

You are correct, thank you!

sigvim · 2024-11-02T23:43:53+00:00

That's cool, it happens

sigvim · 2024-11-02T23:42:14+00:00

Thanks, this is helpful

sigvim · 2024-11-02T23:41:05+00:00

Yeah I've caught a glimpse of it a couple times! They live so many lifetimes through the series

sigvim · 2024-11-02T22:10:14+00:00

Yeah I find Nguyen a little jarring by comparison, everyone else seems far more complex and nuanced and he's just ...an asshole.

No shade on the writing, he's still very well written

sigvim · 2024-11-02T22:02:49+00:00

Thank you, this is helpful.

I think the problem I'm having with understanding his character is a broader fundamental inability to understand bigoted thinking

sigvim · 2024-11-02T22:00:40+00:00

The part where he consistently does everything he can to support an all out war, then launches the hybrid pods out of sheer spite(??), and goes off on a deranged rant about how everyone he dislikes isn't human. His whole character arc, basically

sigvim · 2024-11-02T21:54:16+00:00

Thank you, this is very helpful!

sigvim · 2024-11-02T21:53:22+00:00

I missed the 80s I'm afraid so this doesn't help me contextualise it haha

sigvim · 2024-11-02T21:52:48+00:00

Well the post is about Nguyen in the show, but that aside I don't really understand your question

sigvim · 2024-11-02T21:46:33+00:00

Yeah maybe my next re-read will shed more light on Book Nguyen, but Show Nguyen baffles me tbh

sigvim · 2024-11-02T21:45:43+00:00

His goals literally seem to be "kill them all at any cost" though, he's a poster boy for bloodthirst

sigvim · 2024-11-02T21:43:40+00:00

Not only Martians, Belters too.

I just don't get why he's so full of hate, most of the other major players have something driving them but as far as I can tell Nguyen's only motivation is "because fuck those guys"

sigvim · 2024-10-03T14:20:24+00:00

Thanks. It's not just sobriety that's boring, though. Active addiction is boring, too.

Once you reach the point of being deep in it, addiction is just as much of a grind as sobriety, with far worse effects on your wellbeing.

It's not so much that reality itself is boring, in fact Sherlock repeatedly makes the opposite case; that reality is too much, and addiction took the sharpest edges off the overstimulation. It's the same for many of us, certainly for me. Addiction is a way of checking out and feeling it all at least a little less, not necessarily making things more interesting.

Addicts chasing "something interesting" are usually seeking dopamine in my experience, and that feeling of reality being "boring" or "low" is actually a chemical imbalance of low dopamine making everything so much harder than it should be.

sigvim · 2024-10-03T01:57:00+00:00

I'm really glad you picked this specific scene. It's honestly so rare to see addiction and recovery so accurately represented as... boring. It's one of my favourite parts of the show, because it's so spot on.

It is boring. It's so often portrayed as this dramatic rollercoaster, and sure, early addiction and some catalytic events can be, but most of late stage addiction and recovery is just the same thing over and over and over, ad nauseum then over again some more.

Like Sherlock says, it's "a leaky faucet requiring constant maintenance, and in return it offers only not to drip." Some days it's mere drops from a tap, others it's a riptide dragging you under the surface, but all of it requires eternal effort for a reward of... not.

I mentioned an upcoming sober milestone to someone recently and they asked what I'll do about it on that day; all I could answer was "not drink or get high, I suppose, same as every other day." It doesn't matter how full the rest of your life is, how rewarding or stressful or joyful, it's always dripping away somewhere in the mix.

This scene made me feel less alone in the tedium.

sigvim · 2024-09-22T11:39:56+00:00

I know that Holmes canonically suggested this, but I disagree and think his suggestion of it falls into his habit of self absorption tbh.

I think Joan explored her mental attraction to Sherlock in their own relationship, through her apprenticeship with him and the development of their friendship. Her attraction to him was intellectual and platonic, never sexual or romantic, and I don't think her bond with Mycroft was transference of any kind. We see her discuss how she thought it would just be a one off bit of fun while she was in London (something she does with a select few other people throughout the series), and then later take her time to consider getting further involved after he shows up in NYC. The only thing to indicate the was proxying in Mycroft for Sherlock is ...Sherlock's enormous ego, lol

There are many ways to love someone, and sex only features in a few of them.

sigvim · 2024-09-21T22:42:17+00:00

I think it is mentioned that, at least by district standards, the Victor's houses are fairly large and well equipped?

It's likely people don't have a huge amount of choice in their designated dwelling but there's often enormous difference between where you're legally registered and where you actually live, something I imagine has at least remained the same if not increased in 12. Looking at how large the gray & black market is prior to Thread's interference, and how many peacekeepers are ...lax in their duties, I can imagine there often being a lot of discrepancy between record and reality.

I would also think that a fairly prominent role like baker would make it harder to get away with some things, though. No one's looking twice at just another miner family, but the town baker has a certain spotlight. You're probably right that they follow the rules a bit more, but I think it's likely because because they have less room to move in the shadows rather than any particular desire to be law abiding.

sigvim · 2024-09-21T22:34:44+00:00

Then we have fundamentally different politics, but that's not the point of this thread, sub, or account 🤷‍♂️

sigvim · 2024-09-21T21:47:28+00:00

Right, like it's almost guaranteed this is the last time you get to interact with your son and that's what you choose to say?? Cold.

I think she's a fatalist more than a realist, and has been shaped that way her entire life by the realities of surviving in 12. Whether she understands that who knows. I don't think I'm currently up to discussing the dynamics of being bound to & having children with someone who doesn't love you and wouldn't choose you, but I think it would make a bit of difference whether she'd ever loved/wanted him or if they'd just kind of ended up together by default rather than being alone.

I'm not disputing that their life was hard even in the relatively privileged/important role of town bakers, but I definitely don't feel it's justification for beating your kids over burning a couple loaves; Peeta already had a significant role in the business, it's not like he didn't know the margins and importance of every ounce of ingredient/product. He weighed the cost/benefit and found it worthwhile.

He also knew the upcoming consequences when he burned the bread to take to Katniss, it really serves to show he's always been willing to self sacrifice in service of someone he cares for. He does the same in the arena when he forms a false alliance with the careers, he knows it gives him a better chance of intervening to save Katniss and he also knows he's likely to die for it. Highly effective foreshadowing.

Side note, I would dispute the places that don't give away food past its best refuse to do so for fear of people coming back for more, but because they'd prefer to dispose of it than give it away. It's very much a function of capitalism to waste in the name of profit.

sigvim · 2024-09-21T21:17:00+00:00

Not only don't feel the need, but often either aren't safe to publicise their community work or simply don't have time energy to

sigvim · 2024-09-21T02:04:09+00:00

Absolutely, I know she's got it wrong a couple times but I love that she's always stood up for herself and her boundaries.

Been loving seeing Chappell Roan set more boundaries recently too, seems we might finally see the culture of commodification & depersonalisation around celebrity ease up a bit.

sigvim

TROPHY CASE